WASHINGTON -- The expansion in public prekindergarten programs has slowed and even been reversed in some states as school districts cope with shrinking budgets. As a result, many 3- and 4-year-olds aren't going to preschool.

"It makes no difference where you stand, as long as you stand." The powerful words of Monica Banks echoed through the blocks of downtown Monday during the Oktibbeha County branch of the NAACP's Martin Luther King Jr. Day March and Rally, which concluded with a ceremony outside the county courthouse.

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke these words in 1957, and Monday, people gathered at Mississippi University for Women's Nissan Auditorium to pay tribute, not only to King but to two local educators who have dedicated their lives to this principle.

Otis Moss III asked for one thing: for those listening to "make a way" for future generations.
Moss, the senior pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, was the keynote speaker during Monday's Dream 365 Commemorative Breakfast Program, which is the culminating event in a five-day celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy

A recent law enforcement meeting has local agencies on their toes and ready to combat crime by working together.
Lowndes County, Columbus and other nearby law enforcement agencies met Thursday afternoon regarding the recent outbreak of burglaries.